Views on disability, mental health and life living in the heart of North Yorkshire!
It's that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and the sounds of 'pop', 'bang', 'fizz' fill the air as Fireworks are let off everywhere around the country. Fireworks can be a bit of a nightmare for people like me who have Cerebral Palsy. Ever since I was… Continue reading “Sorry for making you jump!” – Living with a startle reflex and Cerebral Palsy
Today is International Women's Day. A day to recognise and celebrate all the amazing things women have achieved throughout history, the barriers they have faced and overcome and pushing for more equality for women throughout the world, both for now and the future. I have to admit, although I've always happily ticked the 'women' box… Continue reading International Women’s Day 2021 – My thoughts and experiences on what it means to be a disabled woman
When the Prime Minister first announced a national lockdown back in March, millions of people had to suddenly get used to working from home, or be placed on furlough and unable to work due to businesses reliant on face to face contact & socialisation forced to shut down. Suddenly people weren't allowed to meet with… Continue reading The Covid Pandemic was the perfect opportunity to increase awareness & understanding of the needs of disabled people – how did it go wrong and what can we learn from it to put things right?
I've been following the distressing story in the news of the murder of 10 year old Dylan Freeman, who had autism along with other severe disabilities, by his own mother. Its a story similar to ones I have read about before, where parents of disabled children reach breaking point and cannot deal with all the… Continue reading We need to stop pitying desparate parents of disabled children and instead get to the root of the problem
Recently in Harrogate, just as the major wave of Coronavirus lockdown restrictions started to ease, there has been a lot of roadworks going on as TalkTalk's company 'FibreNation' has been rolling out full fibre broadband across Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough. While this is great news for some, the actual process of installing the broadband cables… Continue reading Disabled Access needs to be considered when road and construction works are being planned
This past week has been "Mental Health Awareness Week" and in addition to all the current talk around Coronavirus and coping with the world in lockdown, the media has been shining a light on the impact mental health struggles can have on our own lives and of those around us, particularly in these current circumstances.… Continue reading “That’s amazing… considering you’re disabled”: Disability, ‘inspiration porn’ and how I feel like an imposter
If I had the opportunity to change one thing about my life that is affected by my disability, it would most certainly be the ability to use the toilet independently. Due to my difficulty in standing and walking, I have always had to have help to get onto and off the toilet. When I was… Continue reading Going to the loo – navigating people’s most natural functions when you have a disability.
Looking through countless glossy magazines, you'd be hard pressed to find any that don't give advice, in one way or another, on how to deal with romantic love, break ups and moving on from long term relationships. As someone who unfortunately (or not!) has never been in that position myself as a single woman, I've… Continue reading Friendships @ 30
This post contains discussions relating to suicide, self harm and other topics relating to mental illness. If you find any of those topics trigger distressing thoughts and feelings, I would advise not to read further until you feel able to. Today is World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness of the impact mental… Continue reading World Mental Health Day – Why we need to do more than raising awareness and talking about our feelings
As part of his first speech as Britain's new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson stated that "We will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve". No matter your views about Boris Johnson's capabilities as Prime Minister, or of… Continue reading Social Care isn’t just for the elderly!
Wheelie Yorkshire Lass 